Soft, Gooey Center
by stomach-rental
Summary: It's Valentine's Day. William James Rowe has spent all day going on romantic outings with his recently reunited boyfriend, Louis Patriarch, and both have now settled in for a lazy night of movies and cuddles. However, Louis seems to be wanting to explore a different avenue of cuddling for the night. (non-sexual, safe g/t vore based off of the series Getting In Deep on DeviantART!)


**A/N: (warning: as stated in the description, this story contains safe, soft, willing non-sexual g/t vore, and also Will's mind wandering to...some implied nsfw places. If you don't like those things, please don't continue forward! And, also, I highly suggest reading Getting In Deep, the story this is based off of, beforehand. This is a bit of an AU since it follows a roleplay of mine going on with some friends, but, it will make absolutely no sense unless you read the original series! Thank you, and, if you're still here, have a blast reading!)**

The notes of "Tales to Astonish!" by Christophe Beck came in, quietly, over the speakers to the sound system of the apartment. Will remembered that track-- he had really loved Ant-Man when it first came out, before he knew Louis or got caught up into the mess of his abilities, and he had once upon a time tried to take on the task of learning how most of the Marvel themes were put together so he could attempt to play them himself. Ant-Man had been one of the first movies he had done this to, and this song was one of the best ones on the track, in his opinion. It was a fitting ending theme, and the credits that rolled onto screen in the background felt like they fit perfectly in time with the way the beat moved. It was hard not to tap along to the familiar chords.

William was currently splayed out on the old leather couch of Louis' apartment, his back against the arm rest and his legs kicked out to the rest of the cushions. Louis Patriarch was also laid comfortably into his couch, but instead of leaning against the arm rest, he had his head on Will's chest, his eyes half closed and the heat of his body pressed close into his partner. It felt natural, especially now that Will understood more of the reasoning behind the positioning-- Louis had told him last night that the sounds of Will's gut were comforting, and that it made it far easier for him to sleep. Will sort of wished that he had waited until after the movie to relax like that, since he had really been hoping to show Louis some of his favorite parts that he thought he might enjoy, but...Louis was exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes had been pronounced, and Will couldn't lie that the blond needed to rest for the night. Damn workaholic nature. If Louis just took the chance to rest for a few minutes during the work day, he wouldn't be feeling like that.

Truly, if he thought about it, he couldn't complain that Louis was sleeping. Will was feeling just as tired, between the lack of sleep and the day that he had had so far. Louis had insisted he had taken the entire day off, and now Will saw why; the madman had practically planned out multiple outings just for them to be able to have together. First it was the chocolate tasting, then the botanical gardens, then ice skating, then a cafe, then a trip to the ferris wheel down at the docks at sunset. Finally, to round the whole day out, he had taken Will back to his apartment, and had promised to watch any movies that Will felt like seeing with him. It felt...like some sort of dream, like a heavenly vacation away from the stress of all that had happened with work. It had started with that kiss, when he first came back, and now it was just a nonstop track of impossibilities that Will would never have thought to happen. Having his partner so close to him was a miracle, and it made him feel...light. Fluffy.

Of course, there was only one thing that could make this thing better, but...Will knew it probably would never happen. Louis had made it clear when they first started this relationship that he would most likely never be interested in sex. Will didn't completely understand why, but he wasn't going to question it. It was Louis' business. But...Louis had also said that he wasn't sure if he'd ever be okay with kissing, and HE was the one to kiss him that time before. Maybe it was just a matter of time? Will could only hope so. No matter how respectful he wanted to be, it was hard to stop his mind from wandering, his eyes from staring. He had caught himself multiple times before now, and as much as he tried to wrench himself away from it all, it was. Hard. He wanted to be close, and intimate with Louis. He wanted there to be nothing between them, to let himself feel the tingling pleasures that ran up his entire body at the thought. He just. Couldn't have that happen.

Will looked back down to Louis' head, which was still resting on him. His breath felt steady, clear, and with this close of proximity, Will could still smell the dark, earthy bitterness of coffee that stained the air around him. There was a longing that sat in the air, but Will brushed away his thoughts like they were a buzzing nest of hornets, not wanting to tempt himself. Instead, he pushed his hand through the soft strands of Louis' sandy blond hair. It wasn't spiked that much at all, so you could barely even feel the usual bunches that hardened with the gel he used. Instead it felt like someone had blow dried it with an ultra powered, super warm hair dryer. Whatever he had been doing recently to change it, it was nice. Will didn't at all mind the new scent that came with it either...was it buttercream? Something like that. It was just one of the many changes Louis had taken on since Will had been gone. The question still nagged at him. What had spurred this change? How MUCH change was it, really? Perhaps, if he was changing his behaviors and the way he presented himself, he'd also change…

The beginning of an idea was stopped quickly as his stomach let out a loud growl. Will immediately shoved his hands over his belly, groaning. Well. At least that part hadn't changed. It was annoying that his body couldn't stop itself from announcing what it wanted as loudly as possible. How was he even that hungry? They had eaten dinner at the cafe at around...what, was it six, six-thirty? Sure, by now it was nearly midnight, and he had held back at the cafe a bit because Louis had said that he had a dessert waiting for him back at the apartment. Then Will had started Innerspace, and he supposed that they had just...forgotten. Or. Something. Despite how late it was, he really would like to have had that dessert. Louis' food always had something special to it, and Will found himself checking in to try whatever sweet the watch agent had cooking up when there was time. The fact that he had prepared something especially for Will had his interests piqued, but he could wait if he really had to.

A movement stirred next to him, making Will tense.

"Hey. The movie done already?"

Will blinked in surprise at Louis' groggy voice, shaken out of his thoughts. Louis must have woken up from the...uhm. Disruption, of his stomach. "Uh. Yeah, you fell asleep, I think." The auburn haired man's mouth turned up to a small smile and he tousled Louis' hair underneath where his hand had been resting. "You really need to rewatch them with me at a time that you're less tired. I don't even know how much of the movie you would have remembered when you started snoring during the first twenty minutes."

Louis lifted a hand up with some effort, waving off the notion before yawning. "Naah. I was in and out. I remember some stuff. Antony…" He frowned at that detail, probably remembering what came of the poor ant near the end of the movie. "I really need to look into getting my own ant terrarium. It'd probably be an interesting experience to explore a colony at that level."

"Rachel would probably approve of an idea like that for some experiments, but if you did it on your own you'd get stuck in the tank. Unless you had some sort of secret escape hatch that the ants couldn't use. Could be a good thought to look into, though-- then you'd be the real life Ant-Man!" Will grinned, somewhat amused at the idea. Knowing Louis, the ability to interact with a pet like that would most likely boost his confidence in his own condition. Plus...the cosplay possibilities. He had no doubts that it'd be a fun party trick to bring into Main Tech on Halloween.

The blond snorted. "Maybe. Don't think I could communicate with them telepathically, though." Louis pushed himself up from his position, taking the gentle warmth from before with him. Will frowned, wanting to tell him to stay with him, but also not wanting to push. Besides...the way Louis stretched out his muscles...looked good. Even if Will didn't feel the release of tension, it was something about the way his partner sighed, the grunt and the popping of joints. Will kept his eyes off of his chest and turned, instead looking to the coffee table, a stack of books, and the magazines that were laid out across the glass surface. One of them was a Food Network issue, somewhat dated and holding a stack of pancakes on the front cover. They were drizzled in a caramelized syrup, with thick whipped cream and chocolate chips scattered across the tops in clumps. The other magazine was called All Recipes, with a tub of cool mint ice cream being scooped out onto a dark chocolate brownie crumble, with wrinkled corners on the pages from use.

Another squelching noise, louder this time. Will nearly smacked himself in the head as he pulled the covers of the blanket he had been using closer to him, burying his face in the back cushions of the couch. Ugh! If he wasn't looking at Louis' body, it didn't matter, because it sounded like his body would want to proclaim just about ANY of his desires to whoever was closest to him. While he was glad at least that it wasn't doing the same for his other desires, the fact that he was hungry was already embarrassing enough. Louis had sent him looks about that before during tests, and he had just spent a ton of money on a really nice dinner. Why did his body feel the need to ask for more, right now?

Louis didn't actually seem all that surprised, this time, simply looking him over thoughtfully and scratching at the scruff of hair that grew on his chin. "Guessing you're hungry. I'm pretty sure it's around the right time for that, anyways." He picked up his phone, checking the clock, before letting out another yawn and moving Will's legs off of him so he could get up.

"Around the right time? What do you mean?" Will watched his partner curiously as he stood, walking past the TV and the fish tank to the kitchen area. The sound of the fridge opening made Will prick his ears, leaning forward on the couch and not even caring that his stomach let out another groan of disapproval at the movement.

"I mean that I was waiting for your stomach to be empty enough for you to have the dessert. I didn't want you to be too full, so I set a good time frame," Louis closed the fridge again, holding something carefully in his hands out of view. He leaned over and opened the drawer to grab what Will could only assume to be a utensil. "Two hours, on average, for the human stomach to empty itself out to the rest of the digestive system. The average movie is an hour and a half to two hours, which we watched two of, and we had taken about an hour or so out at docks before we came to the apartment. That gave you plenty of time to digest everything, so you'd be able to have as much of the dessert that you wanted."

Will tilted his head, his hair falling over his shoulders as he did so. "You did all of that planning just so I'd have a chance to have the dessert?"

"Of course I did. It was the smart thing to do with something like this. Wouldn't want to have all of that making you feel sick."

He considered this, frowning. Will knew that Louis had to do a lot more research on the digestive system considering the lab tests and such, but he hadn't expected Louis to apply it to something like this. Just how far had the blond gone to try and make this day perfect? As much as Will appreciated it, he didn't want Louis over stressing himself over something that was just supposed to be a fun time. Will hadn't even done anything for Louis yet, and yet his partner had gone above and beyond to make sure that he was comfortable and having a good time throughout the day. Would Louis feel like that Will hadn't done enough for him? Would he feel like Will just didn't care to actually put effort into it?

His worries couldn't eat at him for long, though, because Louis had already come over and placed the gift in front of him on the coffee table. It was in a somewhat tall glass chalice of sorts, which by itself was already intricate and beautiful due to the engravings and cut of the outer rim. The food it contained was far more more beautiful in its own right, not really because it had been especially crafted or anything, but just because it looked so...so good. It was layered in a pattern, with a soft, sponge-y, golden angel cake as the first layer; a gooey, deep red, sugar glazed spread of cut strawberries for the second; and a fluffy, thick whipped cream that smelled of a rich, pure sweetness.

Will eyed the delicacy, feeling his hunger rise up into his chest. "That...looks absolutely amazing. And really, really good." He wanted to dig into it immediately, but his eyes caught the glint of silver as Louis placed something else down on the table-- a spoon. One spoon. Not two. The amount of dessert here was enough for both of them, and usually Louis at least ate some of the stuff that he gave Will, calling it a 'tax' for making it in the first place. Not that Will ever minded, but...it was strange that he wasn't doing it right now. Will gave him a confused look. "You're not having any?"

Louis suddenly looked like he was more tightened, like someone had twisted two wires together and pulled. Will could just barely see the sweat that dripped down his brow as he cleared his throat, stuttering a bit. "I-I, uh. Yeah. I have, sort of, a thing?" He lifts his hand to try and gesture to his chest, but after trying for a few moments to come up with the right words, he grimaces, looking down to the ground. Will felt a smile come to his face. He looked so cute when he was flustered.

"What kind of thing? Like, a separate one for yourself or something?" He was pretty sure that Louis had mentioned liking strawberries, so it'd be strange for him to have prepared an entirely different dessert for something like that, but it was the first thing Will could think of. Maybe he was just didn't want to eat out of the same food that probably would have Will's spit in it, but, considering how close Louis has been to Will's spit in the past, it seemed like that would be unlikely. He'd never expressed concern about it before when stealing from Will's plate.

"No, no. It's." His fist closes and opens again like he's debating whether he should do something. Then he looks up from his gaze towards the ground, holding eye contact with Will. His cool silver eyes, even through the dark tint of the sunglasses, held a new determination in them. One that made Will's heart flutter. "I have a surprise that I was planning for you. But. You're going to have to wait on eating the sweets until I can, like, get myself into the right stuff to do so, okay? So I need you to close your eyes for like five minutes, while I get this figured out."

Will shifted a bit in the covers on the couch, sitting up and pulling the soft star wars blanket over his arms as he did so. Another surprise? Louis had already done so much! Will didn't exactly need more, this was already a dream come true. But. He wasn't sure exactly what this would be. There were...possibilities, that he could think of. Most of them were entirely selfish and definitely not happening, but...the concepts of it were enough to get his mind working. Plus, even if it wasn't one of those things, it was Louis, and he had worked really hard on all of this. Will didn't want to disappoint him or make him feel like he didn't care by declining the thought, no matter how much he wanted to just immediately consume the entire dessert that was waiting for him. He smiled, giving Louis a thumbs up through the blanket. "Alright. I can wait here and close my eyes if you like. But if you take too long and I accidentally fall asleep, I can't guarantee that you'll be able to wake me up."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. Just. Remember, no peeking."

Of course not. ...Depending. Maybe he wouldn't mind just a little bit of a peek? Juuuust a tiny bit? ...He bit his lip, then sighed. No. He'd play the game right. "Scouts honor!" Will put up the cub scout salute, though it was with the wrong hand and he looked a bit too tired to put a lot of effort in keeping the right position with it.

"...You weren't even a scout," Louis said, then shook his head. He apparently was not going to play into Will's antics any further, instead going into the bedroom beyond the living space and rifling through his bag.

Will looked back down to the glass on the table, then closed his eyes, just like he had promised to do. Right. He just needed to sit still, and wait, until Louis came back. And not think about how empty is stomach was doing right now. No food thoughts, no anything like that. He'd get food eventually, but for now he just had to focus on not completely embarrassing himself around Louis. Maybe...after this, he could play that song? Or, maybe not. Maybe that'd be a bad idea. It was getting pretty late, and he was already feeling the tendrils of exhaustion pull on him. If he tried to sing now, he might mess the words up or play the wrong chord. He didn't want Louis to have to get a half assed performance when he had gone above and beyond with his own gift. Maybe in the morning. ...Fuck, Will was probably staying over at Louis' apartment tonight, right? He hadn't actually asked about it, but, he didn't suspect he was going to be driving back to the Watch this late. He didn't even know if he could drive back to the Watch with how tired he was. So that meant that in the morning...Will would end up getting to wake up to seeing Louis. And his gently tanned skin...spread over well toned muscles, stretching out from a full night's sleep, wrapped around his body and pulling Will close into the heat of his thighs--

No! No, fuck, we're not doing this! No, he was not thinking of that right now. Ugghhhh. Ugh. Even with his eyes closed, Will put his head into his hands, trying to keep his face from going red. Absolutely not. He could still hold out onto hope, but indulging in fantasies was just! Rude!

"You okay, Will?"

Will jumped in his seat, nearly opening his eyes but remembering to slam them shut again. Louis' voice was closer this time, close enough to smell the lingering coffee breath once more. Was he done getting ready for whatever he was planning? Could Will get out of his own headspace for a few moments and escape from the things he couldn't let himself have? "Ah, yeah, I, I'm fine. Are you fine? Can I open my eyes now?"

There was the sound of something pressing down on the table, and then the movements that shook the glass as it was readjusted. "Uh. Nearly. One second, I need to get this exactly right, or it won't land properly and I'll have to redo everything." There was a pause, and then Will suddenly felt cold metal press up against his right ear. He tensed, but didn't open his eyes, not wanting to ruin anything.

"And...uhm. What's that?" It felt vaguely familiar, like something he'd used before. Was it like metallic earbuds? Did Louis get him new bluetooth earbuds? He really didn't need those, he already had plenty of earbuds at his house(even if a lot of them broke pretty easily). He had half a mind to speak up and tell him to take it back, possibly use them for himself.

Louis didn't respond to his question, making worry squirm into his guts. It was silent, and Will didn't want to ask again in case it was annoying, but...damn, it was hard to just sit here and wait when you have no idea what is going on! The only indication of anything was a small beep. A beep that he remembered, after months of testing and working for the Watch. It was the indicator that a skysprecht was turned on and properly working. What...was Louis doing with the skysprechts here? Will was pretty sure that the skysprechts were equipment that typically stayed with Grant until mission time, or they were handed over to Rachel in case of any issues that might be coming up in between tests.

Before he could dwell on it further, Louis' voice came in, clear and direct over the speaker within the device. "Alright, Will. You're good to go now, I think." The closeness of his voice was something he hadn't heard in at least a month with everything else going on, and he felt a warm tingle come through his body. What was that? Anticipation?

Will was not going to wait for this any longer. He opened his eyes.

The sunglasses that usually adorned Louis face had been placed down on the table next to a flashlight, along with a few hardcover books that had been stacked in an almost staircase pattern up to the top of the glass that had been set out before. And there, in the midst of the mounds of whipped cream and sweet, decadent pastry that hid underneath it, was Louis. He had shrunk down to his miniature size, two and a half inches exactly, and was just...sitting. Right there, almost like a wedding topper on a cake. His arms and legs were covered in whipped cream, and he sat cross legged, propped up against one of the strawberries that had poked out of the top of the dessert. Will's thoughts clashed for a moment, met with confusion of what exactly this meant, until he realized that Louis was not longer wearing the fuzzy pajamas he had on before and was instead wearing the tight, royal blue jumpsuit that he took on for his tests at Watch Two.

Dots connected, slowly, in Will's mind, and as they did, heat rushed through his skin, coloring his face with a bright, soft pink. His mind screeched to a stop, every thought stumbling, trying to come up with something. Something to say. What was he supposed to say?

"Uh. Yeah, I…" Louis rubbed his arm a bit, then looked back up to Will, sheepish. "I don't know. Exactly, whether this is something you'd be alright with. And if not, I'm fine with it, we don't have to do it. But. I was thinking, you know, because you...said you liked it, and, I've discovered I'm good with it, too. That. Uh. It'd be a good...thing, I guess? To do?"

Will grabbed for words, trying to form a coherent thought out of the stillness that had hit him. There was...a lot. That was a lot. To think about, at once, how was he supposed…? Agh, you're making him wait too long, idiot, say something! "I-I'm. Okay. You…" He tried to hold his tongue for a second, like rearranging puzzle pieces in his head. "You want me. To eat you?"

The color that adorned Will's face was no stranger to Louis' features, either, and it was especially obvious against the the outfit he was wearing. He brought his hands together and fidgeted his fingers, his tiny, almost toy-like hands. He was so small. So vulnerable. This entire day, Louis had been incredibly vulnerable with Will, and this moment was one of the most open moments Will thought that he had ever had with him. "If you want. You don't have to. But, uh. I enjoy...being with you, and being. Close to you, in that way, you know? And...it's really good to have that kind of feeling, with you being all around me. I feel safe inside of you. A-and, it's, different, than when I'm in Reese, or Rock, or Flacari, or. Whoever. Whatever. It's special, I think, and I don't understand it fully, but I don't want it to go away. I want to experience this closeness with you."

The tone was so small, and not just because of his current size-- the skysprecht was projecting fine, so, it sounded just like any normal voice. But the way that he said it sounded like a snail that had only just poked its head out of its shell, unsure about the outside world and cautious to approach in case of danger. Like he would go back into that dark, hard outer shell at any point in time, ready to close off from all of the emotions that he had tried to push out of him.

Will could not allow him to go back into his shell. His breath felt like it was caught in his throat, like it had been waiting for months upon months to hear those words. Sure, he'd read them before. Louis had begrudgingly admitted his affections for their situation over chat, and from what he'd read out of the logs, he had already begun to start trying to explore and understand them better with others. But not with Will. He'd never spoken those words out loud, directly, right here for him to consider and think over. He'd never faced them.

"Does that make sense?" Louis asked. He seemed tense, like he was wasn't positive that he should have said those words before. "You can, uh. Forget about it, if it's weird or someshit. I get it. It's not really normal, and, a lot of the people I know would probably agree with that so you don't have to--" Louis was getting up from his sitting position in the whipped cream. Fuck, Will hadn't been saying anything, had he? Fuck. Fuck. He just kept overthinking things!

"Nno, no, it's fine! It's fine, Louis!" Will actually held his hand up, without meaning to, which stopped Louis from climbing down from the sugary mess and back onto the book stairs. Louis paused, wary of the sudden movement, before looking back up to Will, concern crossing over his face. Will's words spilled out, completely jumbled and disorganized. "I'm okay with this, don't worry, I was just. I was surprised, because, you've never done anything like that before! We've, uh. Never done anything like that before. It's always been for work, or, for comfort during some kind of awful thing going on, or. By accident." He swallowed, then removed his hand from the tip of the glass, not wanting to prevent Louis' way out if he really wanted to get away from this situation, but he had a sliver of a feeling that he didn't. He was being honest and real with Will...for once. And Will really, really hoped that he didn't want to leave from that.

Louis didn't quite sit back down, his hand holding onto one of the strawberries as he hesitated. "So you want to do it? Like, are you actually alright with this?"

The auburn-haired man nodded, reaching out and picking up the silver spoon. He held it up as if to prove that he was being serious, then glanced down at it, twirling it in his hand and looking over the polish of the metal. "I mean. I'm fine with it, yeah. I'm...more than fine with it. I'd actually really like that." Will looked back up to Louis carefully, trying to read the smaller man's expression. "I just. Are you sure you're okay with this? It's Valentine's Day, you should be doing something like...eating chocolate and watching more movies with me. Just fun, relaxing stuff. You keep pushing yourself to do things for me, and this day isn't all about me, it's about you too. You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Louis stares at Will for a few moments. He then looks to the spoon in his hands, considering his next steps, before turning back and sitting in the same spot that he had been before. The blush was still there, but after gathering himself, he speaks. "Will...the place I'm most comfortable right now is being as close to you as possible. I don't think there's a single better way I could be spending Valentine's Day."

Silver eyes met green. Will felt his entire chest warm, like someone had lit a candle and filled his entire belly with the extract from that candle's light. Louis...wanted to be near him, to be close to him. He was comfortable with him, IN him, and he felt safe. Not trapped, not scared, not any of the things he had been fearing. Will made him feel...safe.

It was everything Will had wanted to know, put into words. Right there.

Of course, all good things have to be interrupted by his talkative insides proclaiming that they weren't getting fed. A long, strained gurgling sound came from his middle, despite Will's efforts to muffle it by drawing his arms over the area. Will sighed, putting his face in one hand and rubbing his temples. "Guh. Sorry, about that."

Louis actually smiled at him a little, which was the opposite reaction Will had expected. "You're fine, Will. You're just hungry, which I did kind of...plan on. I didn't want to make you sick from overeating." The blond situated himself by leaning onto the strawberry behind him, then took some of the whipped cream and pulled it over himself, much like a kid burying themselves in sand on a beach. He gives Will the same thumbs up that Will had given him before, only his head and the tops of his shoulders poking out of the pile. It was, admittedly, kind of adorable. "I'm ready whenever you are, fanboy."

The old nickname came easily, but instead of making Will feel like he was an over obsessive weirdo like it usually did, it seemed more like a true term of endearment. It made Will feel less awkward about all of this, honestly, though he didn't exactly understand why. But...Louis was missing something. Will held the spoon out and dug it into the side of the strawberry delight, scooping out a few of the strawberries under the cream. He then got a dollop of the whipped cream with it and gently smeared it on top of Louis' blond hair, letting the strawberries stick precariously to the top of his head like a little hat.

"Hey!" Louis shook his head like a dog trying to shake off soapy water from a bath, which did not go very successfully, considering the white globs still clinging over him. He glared up at Will, but it was more of a frustrated and sort of embarrassed glare than an actually angry glare. "What was that for?"

Will grinned, stifling his own laughter. "You just missed a spot, is all! Thought I might help you out a bit." He moved the spoon again, but this time it was to actually pull under Louis, lifting both him and a good chunk of the strawberry cake into the curve of the metal. Will raised it up to his mouth, careful not to move too fast or accidentally knock Louis off of his perch. Before opening up his mouth to let him in, though, he leaned the spoon over and gently pressed his lips up against Louis' smaller body, only holding it there for a few minutes before moving away. A kiss, of sorts, though...not the same passionate kiss that Flacari had mentioned doing with his boyfriend, it was a kiss nonetheless.

"I love you, Louis," Will said. And he meant it, he really did. He was, of course, unsure, both of the situation they were in and with whether this was a good idea at all, but it didn't matter. Louis...was his, and he cared so much for him.

Louis looked a little surprised from the kiss, as if not expecting the sudden touch, but it wasn't a bad surprised, from what little Will could tell. He is still for a moment before leaning out and putting his hand against the surface of Will's mouth. "I...love you too, Will."

Another flutter of uncertainty flickered within him, but Will elected to ignore it this time, opening his mouth for Louis. Louis' hands were usually so shaky and nervous as he lifted himself into Will's mouth, but tonight, they seemed more solid, like he was positive that he wanted to do this. It may not have been much, but even that assured him that Louis wasn't scared and that his revelations before were true. It was almost a relief, honestly, because as soon as Louis was inside of his mouth, it felt like the last part of a puzzle being fitted into place. It felt right. Whole. Perhaps that's where all of the connections between them began, with the warmth of his partner's body being within his own.

Will felt Louis situate himself onto his tongue. He could, of course, taste the lingering, ever present bitterness of black coffee that still hung around Louis, but it wasn't the only flavor there. In fact, the coffee was just a hint in comparison to the tangy, sweet, richness the strawberry juices mixed into the puffy white cream that covered his partner. It was heavenly, honestly, and it had been a very long time since he had had anything as sugary and indulgent as this. Will ran his tongue along the flavor and felt the taste sink into him, before hearing a breath hitch over the skysprecht.

"Uh. Will? What the fuck is that?"

Shit, uh, he was. Okay. What had gotten into him? Maybe he should just leave the tasting part to the actual food and not...Louis. He should have at least asked before doing that instead of just. Licking him. Even if it was sort of involuntary and he hadn't meant to. On Will's end, at least, it felt only satisfactory to actually be able to to savor whatever was in his mouth, but he had no idea about Louis. It probably freaked him out, or something. Gaah. He'd...have to ask later, when his mouth wasn't full. He let his tongue fall flat against the bottom of his jaw and closed his mouth around Louis.

Louis stayed quiet, like he was waiting for an answer, but he must have realized how difficult it'd be for Will to respond with his mouth full. He clears his throat. "I mean. It's not bad, I just didn't...know you were going to do it." Despite Louis words of what seemed to be approval, Will kept his tongue as still as possible, not wanting to do anything else that might disrupt him or make him feel weird. It wasn't until he felt the gentle rubbing against his tongue that he moved it again, surprised by the touch. The strange sensation almost...tickled? Will tensed a little bit. His tongue curled up on itself like a cat recoiling from a sudden noise, causing Louis to chuckle over the skysprecht. "Well, okay. Just...don't push yourself if you really don't want to do it, but from what I've heard on both of our ends...we probably need this. I've learned recently that it's okay to enjoy some things."

Will fidgeted his hands in his lap. Of course, Louis was right, and he had said he was alright with all of this. He quite literally served himself on a silver platter, or...he supposed, glass cup? Bowl...ish, thing? Maybe Will was just still grappling with the idea that Louis could actually enjoy this, or even be alright with it in general, despite overwhelming evidence for it. Louis really had changed a lot from the grumpy, irritated, annoyed partner he knew back...oh, what was it, seven months ago now? Eight? Whatever. He didn't seem angry about the licking thing, at least. Will counted that much to be lucky. After waiting a few more seconds to make sure Louis wasn't trying to adjust anymore, he slowly tilted his head back, feeling his partner slide to the back of his throat.

This was the part that always hurt the most, but he was at least prepared for the pressure that would begin to pull inside of his chest. It would only be a few seconds. He could handle it, especially if it meant getting to retreat into the security of being able to keep his partner and boyfriend safe, warm, and comforted. Taking a deep breath and gripping his hand on the edge of the couch, he swallowed, trying to ignore the edges of guilt and doubt that still lingered in his mind.

Mouths were never Louis' favorite place to be. It was horribly wet, everything was moving and cramped, and the wariness he felt around teeth was...definitely a fear that clawed into him. It at least wasn't as cold as it might have been, considering Will's hot tea breath that came over him, but it was enough to unnerve him. That...uh. Licking thing definitely did not make things easier, of course, but he doubted Will had really even meant anything by it. He had covered himself in strawberries and whipped cream, so, it made sense that Will would want to actually taste what he just put in his mouth. That didn't make it any less freaky to feel the ground you're sitting on come up and start stroking your back and pushing you around.

Louis shook his head. Focus! Focus on the task at hand.

As much as he wasn't a fan of mouths, throats were far, far worse.The hardest part of this entire process. Louis may find enjoyment in being safe inside of Will, but the esophagus was anything but safe. It was a terror inducing death trap that probably did not get checked for ride regulation safety when it was put out as a part of the human body. Though...typically, the human body was not meant to be any sort of ride and was meant more to grind anything that was put into it down to a pulp to be used for energy. Louis was the one outlier in this group, and it wasn't exactly like you could just replace that entire organ in the body. At least, not without making some MAJOR bodily changes and spending a ton of money for a potentially life threatening surgery, which Louis did not want himself or anyone else to ever have to go through.

Regardless, it was all he could think about as he felt the wet, saliva covered muscles begin to move around him and push him further into the digestive system. Literally, what would be the harm in giving, maybe, an inch or two more of space? Louis would far rather take an actual slide down than be so forcefully shoved through, but he didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. So instead he focused on trying to keep himself from giving in to panic, holding his arms close to his chest and trying to suck in a breath through his gritted teeth. It took a lot not to shove back, to try and expand the space around him or bring his descent to a stop, but he needed to trust Will's body. He already trusted Will, and he'd learned enough about the human digestive system from late night homework given to him by Rachel. He knew, even from experience now, that he'd be fine. It was barely even five seconds of time, anyways. Hardly enough to be an actual problem.

Still, the anxiety and fears plaguing his mind had enough of a hold on him to make seconds feel like minutes. Over the skysprecht and through the skin, he could hear Will's struggled breathing for a few moments as he continued to swallow him down beyond the chest cavity. It was a clear sign that, of course, Will didn't want to be doing this part of it just as much as Louis, but that didn't mean that the hot, pressured walls would stop squeezing him like a kid playing with silly putty. Eventually, they finally released their death grip hold on his small body, and Louis fell unceremoniously into a steaming puddle of acid. Everything was still dark, of course, mainly because Louis' heart felt like it was racing a thousand miles a minute, but he was able to get control of it slowly. He shakily stood and backed himself up into the muscled wall behind him, feeling Will's heartbeat echo through the chamber as it worked. It was a bit faster than usual, too, but that's how it always was during the first few minutes of being in here. Louis was pretty sure it was just because of the fact that it was always a struggle to get anything Louis' size down without a lot of pain. The throat was sort of better at getting down chewed up mush than it was a solid, whole human being. It didn't matter now, though, because a heartbeat was a heartbeat, and its steady thudding made the darkness around him eb away, revealing the rest of the space he was in with ease.

The confines of Will's stomach were familiar. At this point, Louis had taken enough trips down here that he'd be surprised if he didn't know every wrinkle and fold of the walls like the back of his hand. Currently, the pale pink chamber was completely empty, outside of the bit of cake and strawberry-whipped delight that came down with him. The presence of something new and degradable in the space made the walls ooze with new acids, and the stunted breathing from Will's lungs slowed as things finally settled. The...uh. Ever-present "ambience" of the stomach, as he'd heard Rock describe it before, was enough to keep Louis calmed as well, leading him to carefully sit down onto the floor of the space instead of continuing to lean against the wall. He took it in. A single breath told him many things he already knew. He could still smell the cooked chicken that had been here earlier, as well as the grilled vegetables from their dinner. The earthy scent of green tea was a given, practically an essential part of the experience with Will's insides, and despite the fact that the vomit smell made things gross enough, it was almost comforting to have it be there again. The churning and squelching sounds below and around him were also a good, solid thing to hold onto, and eventually he was left in what was his definition of a calming silence, despite the fact that the world around him was anything but silent.

A rough coughing sound came from above, and a voice came in over the skysprecht again. Or, it really came from all around him, since he was so near to the source of it. Will. "Are you alright, Louis?"

"Never been better." At least, now he was. He gently put his hand over the side of Will's stomach lining and rubbed the surface, making the other man shudder a bit. It wasn't, of course, a foreign thing. Louis had been using that as a way of calming Will almost since the very beginning, when he was first inside of a stomach. But now that they were in a relationship, it felt like more than just a gesture of helping the other. Now it felt intimate, like it was a shared expression, a reminder of how close the other was. ...Perhaps it had always been like that, and Louis was only just noticing it now. "What about you? Guessing that me going down like that didn't feel great without the lubricant. I probably should have asked Rachel for the stuff to make it easier for you."

"No, n-no, it's good. I'm alright, just...give me a second or two to get a hold of myself. Throat just feels really dry, that's all. Cream probably helped with getting you down, honestly, the lubricant thing was no big deal."

Louis rolled his eyes. Well. He wouldn't completely agree, but, at least Will wasn't complaining about it. He laid against the curve of the stomach and put his hands behind his head, sighing. It was nice, he had to admit. He originally had been a little bit worried about his decision to go through with all of this, since it was so soon after everything that had happened with the kidnapping, but the comfort of being tucked away within somewhere so safe, so completely surrounding was enough to convince him. The way that Will's muscles moved around him and pressed against his own felt like something he couldn't quite describe, and whatever aches that were leftover from waiting out in the cold air of Chicago were now gone. It was replaced by the humid, warm feeling covering him, like a really weird, slimy hug. He didn't mind the slime, at least. He was so used to it at this point that it felt natural.

He pricked his ear up as the stomach walls moved forward and there was a gulping noise from up above. Clear, luke warm liquid slid through through the upper sphincter and fell onto Louis, splashing against his already drenched hair. Drinking. Most likely to help soothe the throat, some. Louis sighed and shook off the liquid, wiping the front side of his suit off with what he could and placing his hand back onto the wall.

"Sorry," Will came back onto the skysprecht again, swallowing impulsively. "I should be okay, now. I'm guessing it doesn't feel the best to get showered with cold water while you're in there."

"You'd be surprised. The heat down here's nice, but, it's good to have something to break that up once in awhile even if it makes me feel wetter than a dog in a rainstorm."

"Wouldn't a dog in a rainstorm be just as wet as anything else in a rainstorm?"

Louis thought about that for a second, frowning. "I. Uh. Well, like, dogs have that...double coat, or whatever, it probably retains water. Or...something." Silence for a beat. "Look, I don't know! I SMELL as bad as a wet dog, at least."

Laughter echoed around the stomach, vibrating through Louis. He had been looking sort of annoyed by his inability to come up with a proper explanation for his word choice, but that change in his surroundings made a small smile come to his features. Will's laugh was special. It felt like wind rustling the leaves of a fern, or a rock skipping against the surface of a still lake. Louis didn't exactly know WHY it felt like these things, but it evoked the same atmosphere, and it was especially prominent here where it practically WAS his atmosphere.

As the laughter quieted, the muscles tightened, and the same loud growling noise that they'd both grown accustomed to sounded out. An awkward silence ran between them both, unsaid worries coming to resurface. Will coughed, as if to try and clear the air a bit. "Uh. Is it okay if I eat this with you in there? I know I shouldn't have...tasted? You earlier? I didn't mean to, I was just pretty hungry and I had kind of forgotten that, like, you probably wouldn't like that sort of thing, so I'm really sorry. I promise I won't--"

"Fanboy!" Louis barked through the skysprecht to stop him from continuing.

"Y-Yeah?"

Will's heart rate had been increasing, and he was just stressing himself out by going into that. Hh. Will had a terrible habit of getting himself worked up over small things. Louis would need to get better about helping him with that kind of shit in the future. He was his boyfriend, after all. He cared about him, and he was done with not talking about shit.

"You're fine, Will. I understand why you did it, and it wasn't that bad. I just didn't know that it was happening at the time. But I'm alright, and you're okay, and you didn't do anything wrong."

Quiet, for a few moments. Will seemed to lean back, causing Louis to slide against his stomach lining again and partially into the puddle of acid. "Well. I mean, maybe. It was still probably not the best experience to have when you're already in the middle of all of this."

"Will." He wasn't going to listen to Louis, of course. The longer haired man tended to be just as stubborn as Louis was, though in completely different ways. He'd have to try a different method. He put his hand against the surface of the wall behind him and gently dragged it across the slimy surface, ignoring the trembling of the muscles under the touch. "I said it was alright, and I meant it. I made this dessert for you to be able to enjoy it, not just so that I can relax in here. Though...that last part is still definitely happening regardless, you should eat. You're hungry."

"I doubt that you want food to be in there with you, though, even if you originally intended it for that purpose. You're my partner, Louis, and I hate seeing you push yourself beyond your limits for my own comfort."

"I'm not pushing myself beyond any limits. I did all of this because I ENJOY it and I want to be with you! I want you to feel good, because I care about you, and that makes me feel good, too."

Wow. They hadn't talked this much about their own personal qualms or opinions on this situation in...well, ever. It was usually well avoided in conversations. Louis understood why, at this point, as it was obvious that Will was too wrapped up in his own head about some of this to listen. Which. Might have been Louis' fault. Wasn't it all of those months ago that Will had wanted to talk? And it had ended in flames because Louis had refused to face the issues. Now, Will was too afraid to let himself do much of anything in case it overstepped. Louis had tangled this situation into quite the mess, huh?

Well. He'd just have to take that mess apart one piece at a time. It was his mess, after all, and he'd see to it that he cleaned it up. Even if that meant being completely embarrassed about it.

Louis sighed. "Do you even understand how good it feels to be in here? You're right here, with me. I know you can feel me in here, but I can also feel you. Everywhere. It's like...you're quite literally my everything, you know? Everything outside, all of the aches and pains, all of the frustrations. They go away when I'm here, inside of you. With how humid it is, it's almost like a sauna sort of experience, but, like. Taken to the next level. You're my entire universe, and I don't even know if you know it, but you're constantly holding onto me. You're constantly making sure that I feel confident in my safety and how much you care, even if you don't mean to. I mean, yeah, it's a little bit gross, but I'm used to it, and it's so much more than just what it seems at face value. Your stomach is always moving, and keeping me close as if I was worth something to it."

He ran his hand through his hair, shaking a little bit. Guh. This was hard to talk about, or to put into words. He hadn't ever spoken so intimately about the experience before, but that's because he'd been convinced for months that it was a problem. He was convinced that this entire situation, that those feelings of awkward intimacy and the renewed strength he found was wrong. After all, it was the most vulnerable thing he had ever been apart of. It was against everything he had convinced himself he needed to be, his entire life. It was strange, and new, and weird. Definitely weird. But Will needed to know that he wasn't the problem, and that there was no longer a problem. For once, Louis felt…vindicated? It was like accepting these things were finally helping click his strangled thoughts into place.

It kind of hurt. But...in a good way.

"I haven't really been cared about in that kind of way, before. Nobody else has loved me that much, and nobody else has protected me in this way. I hated it, before. When we first had to do all of this. I hated it because I didn't like the idea of letting someone else be in control, and you were right, back then. It terrified me. It completely, absolutely terrified me. But I'm not scared now. I trust you, and I love you, and even if it feels like you're using me or whatever shit your mind is going to come up with to try and combat this, you need to know that it's not the case. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be."

The other end of the SkySprecht was quiet again. Louis wondered, briefly, if he had said too much. Was what he said too forward? Would Will be disgusted by how reliant Louis had grown on such thoughts? He didn't know. The blond didn't exactly have much choice other than to hold his knees close to his chest, surrounded by the thick, wet flesh that, even now, held onto him and moved around his body.

"...Will?"

"Thank you."

Louis tilted his head, even though Will couldn't see it. He looked up towards the ceiling of the stomach and the source of the voice. "For what?"

"For...saying that. All of it." The breathing above him seemed to be held for a few moments, as if Will was contemplating how to continue. " And, I mean, obviously, everything else that's happened today. And for just, being here with me, this entire time. But. I...I just. It's good to hear, from you directly, that you...that I'm not hurting you. I mean, I do love you. I always want to be there, to make sure that you're alright, I've just been plagued by all these thoughts, and worries, and doubts…"

He trailed off as he spoke, but Louis didn't dare to interrupt. He instead continued to rub against him, hoping to bring some sort of ease to all of the things on his partner's mind.

After a shaky breath, he continued speaking. "I just can't describe how much it means to me, because it feels so good to have you as close as this, but I never wanted it to hurt you. And I know, there's been some things about it that have hurt you in the past."

"You're not hurting me now."

"I know, I know. And I'm really glad that I'm not, because having you inside of me, you understand so many more of the things...going on. You're right here with me, going through things with me, getting on a level with me that I can't even understand or comprehend fully myself." The back wall leaned forward again, causing Louis to slide to the side a bit. He braced his foot against the other wall to keep himself steady, used to the movements at this point.

Louis could definitely see that. This entire experience was different. It was all so foreign to the human mind, an achievement of intimacy that was beyond anything either of them would have experienced before this. They hadn't understood, before, when it had first happened, and it had taken months for Louis to get to this point. But it was here now, with them both.

What did that mean for them? He wasn't fully sure. But at least right now, it meant that they were as close as they possibly could be, both physically AND emotionally, for once.

The blond nudged the floor of the stomach with the foot he was using to keep himself from moving too far. "Well, I understand one thing. You're still hungry as fuck, and you're not doing anything about it. What's up with that, huh?"

Will laughed a little bit at the sudden change in tone. "Man, you're just really eager for me to actually eat this thing, huh?"

"I spent hours making it! I'm not letting it go to waste, obviously!" He crossed his arms, scowling at the stomach lining as if it could sense his disdain. "...Plus, uh. Strawberries smell a lot better than vomit, just saying. Not to hate on your aroma or whatever, but you need like, some air fresheners down here or something. Febreeze? Maybe?"

"Right, I'll put 'install Febreeze products into my organs' on my to do list. Sounds reasonable enough." Another laugh. It rang just as true as the others, and filled Louis with the same warmth as before. It was like...an embrace, of sorts. Louis let himself fully smile, this time, instead of holding back into the shell that he was so hesitant to emerge from. That was his Will, wasn't it? It felt like him, and sounded like him, and it was more than he ever could have hoped for. What did he do to deserve his boyfriend?

Louis heard a chewing sound from above as he considered Will. Finally, eating the food. He wasn't sure if it was the talking that convinced him or the anxious hunger pangs that were probably still running through his gut, but he was glad that his hard work wasn't going to be shoved aside for later. With luck, that meant he wouldn't be woken up by the entire stomach complaining about its lack of sustenance. With a swallow, Louis was joined by some crushed, saliva covered remains of strawberries and angel cake. Seemed at least Will was taking his recommendation of actually chewing a little bit better.

"Well? Is it any good?" Louis nudged some of the sludge farther away from him as he spoke, closer to the middle of the stomach where he hopefully wouldn't have to immediately touch it. I mean, it was kind of a futile effort since he'd be covered in it regardless, but. Whatever.

Will was already taking another bite as Louis spoke, so it took a few moments for him to finish it that way he could speak clearly. "Oh, it's amazing. It's really sweet, but the strawberries and the cream cheese mixed into the whipped cream balance it out super well. It's like...heaven, came down and turned itself into food form!"

"You say that about everything I make for you."

"Well, it's true!"

"My theory is that maybe you've just been deprived of actually good food for most of your life, or something, so even the most mediocre of stuff seems like the best thing in the world."

"Hey, no. My sister makes great food. Your food just has its own special way of hitting the spot, you know? It's got a distinct flavor to it. Maybe that's just the leftover coffee taste, though."

Louis chuckled at that. Whatever he said, sure. Considering how often Will ate both Louis and his food, the strong flavor must have been growing on him to a point. He didn't mind, of course, because it meant that he'd always have someone to try the things he made along with him. It also meant that perhaps he'd get to take more trips here, which he wasn't even going to begin to complain about. The way that Will's insides worked to digest the other food that was in here with him was overall, a relaxing and harmless process, which easily put him to sleep almost every time that he was here for it. What usually was there to try and grind food down into an unrecognizable pulp instead felt like one of those chairs you felt in malls, pushing into his back with a deep pressure that worked to release the tension still sitting in his joints from earlier that night.

With the smell of fruit and sweet icing around him, Louis rolled over onto his side, using his arm to hug the squishy folds of the muscle close, like a pillow. He let his eyes drift closed, the tiredness of a full day finally weighing down on him like a heavy, heated blanket.

He wouldn't give away this for anything in the whole world.

Will licked the edges of the metal spoon in his hands, getting off the last traces of the treat to let sink into his taste buds. He hadn't eaten the whole thing, since...uh. That was a lot of dessert for one person to tackle. But, regardless, he had eaten at least half of it, and he was more than satisfied with the experience. His stomach was no longer rolling uncomfortably from the emptiness within it, and the dessert itself had been delicious. He'd give his compliments to the chef, but from the quiet snoring that had begun to sound out from the skysprecht, he was assuming his partner had fallen asleep by now.

He stood, taking the partially emptied glass with him as he did so. Standing with Louis inside was always something he was careful about, as he could feel every slide and slight movement in his gut when Louis moved. Will definitely did not want to wake Louis up, not when he had done things practically all day to try and make him feel good. He still wasn't sure if Louis fully felt all of the things he had said...but. If he did, then that meant that he was currently relaxing and enjoying a sort of...uh. Spa? Well, Will wouldn't ever put it like that persay, but Louis seemed convinced enough that it was like that. Maybe one day he'd have to take a trip down someone's throat himself to understand it, because from what he knew of stomachs, that just seemed completely odd. But, whatever. To each their own. Considering how it made Will feel, he was just happy that his partner felt just as good as he did from the whole thing.

The kitchen was fairly well organized, and Will found the cling wrap easily, hidden away on the top of the fridge. It was easily able to fit over the top of the container and around the spoon that he kept with it, and within no time Will was able to find the perfect spot in the refrigerator to let it chill for the night before closing the door. The last things he made sure to take care of was putting in a few pellets of food into La Salle's tank, shutting off the light, washing his hands, and heading off towards the bedroom.

The room was soft, dark, and subtle, the carpet below hugging his feet. There was a queen bed with a large comforter and multiple pillows, obviously not used too often with how much Louis stayed over at the watch. There was a yellow lava lamp in the corner of the room, which was an interesting choice, and the rest of the room was lit only by what little light of the moon came through the blinds, and the overhead connected to a ceiling fan. With how dark it had been turned down to, it was a bit hard to see what the colors of everything was, but from what he could tell, it was a lot of deep browns and beiges. The place honestly just felt like Louis in general. Will had already seen this room earlier when he had first dropped his bags down, but taking it in now felt like a different experience, a welcoming one. Maybe that was just because he knew that he'd be sleeping here, or maybe it was because he felt those Louis vibes from the inside as well, now. He couldn't tell for sure.

Will slowly sat onto the edge of the bed, letting himself lay back into the covers. He'd have to be careful not to turn in his sleep or do anything like that, so, maybe he could use pillows to keep himself steady? Or, that could be too much. It'd probably be fine. He didn't usually move around too much in his sleep, anyways, that was more Louis' thing. He was tired. He had really wanted to fall asleep on the couch before all of this happened, just because it was available and he hadn't wanted Louis to get up, but this bed was so much nicer than the couch. With Louis secure within him, sinking into the stacks of pillows and letting himself fade into what would hopefully be sweet dreams sounded like a fantastic end to a long, eventful, romantic day.

However, before he folded back the covers to let the heat wrap around him, he noticed the neck of his guitar sticking out of the case he had brought it in, right next to the bag that contained a box of coffee flavored chocolates.

Well. Louis wouldn't be able to have the chocolates until later, but...maybe.

The Watch agent stood back up again, not as careful this time. He felt Louis shift within him and a small grunting noise come from the skysprecht, but he didn't let that stop himself from picking up his guitar. It was acoustic, not one of the instruments he usually used for this song, but he had adapted the chords and tweaked the way that he played it so it would give it a bit more of a natural, soft feel to it. It was different than the recording that he had sent into the chat, that was for sure. He sat back into his original position on the bed, holding the guitar's body directly over his torso area and leaning forward so he wouldn't be tempted to get out of proper posture.

One hand checked the tune of the strings, the other adjusted quietly. Everything sounded right. Will took a deep breath in and reached up to the skysprecht, whispering. "Hey, Louis? Are you still awake?"

A groan sounded out. "...Gh...well. I am now." Louis yawned as he spoke, and Will could feel the walls of his stomach expand as he stretched his arm out, which was an interesting sensation. It made his heart pound a little bit louder in his chest, an easy tell to how nervous he was about this. "What is it, fanboy? I can't of slept for more than ten minutes. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Will swallowed. "Uh. Well, you know, today was amazing. Like. I don't think there's ever been a Valentine's day...or, maybe even a day in general, that I've had as good as this one. And you gave me all of these gifts, these special things that mean so much to me, but I never got to give you any gifts back."

"Nahhh. Don't worry 'bout it too much, just being here with you is a gift. I don't need anything special."

"W-well, uhm. You may not need anything, but I prepared something for you anyways. I'll try to be quick, I know I'm tired, too. But I really want you to be able to have this directly from me, because I should have given it to you awhile back, honestly."

Louis' weight moved as he lifted himself a bit, most likely adjusting so he wouldn't just immediately fall back to sleep. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'm up. What are you giving me? Kinda hard to give gifts while I'm in here, you know."

"I know. But this should be able to get through to you no matter where you are."

The first chords had been played often enough by Will that it was like second nature to him. The finger positions swiftly and easily changed, and his fingers plucked the strings slowly, letting the song's beginning wash over him. He began humming out the notes, his left foot tapping against the top blanket in time with the beats that were usually present.

Louis seemed to recognize it, because the body within him sat up straighter, as if suddenly paying more attention.

Will smiled. Then, as he reached the last chords of the beginning, he opened his mouth and began to sing, letting the words come to him like the leaves of a growing tree unfurling for the first time, despite having sung the song a billion times before.

"You're falling further down but I've got you by a thread,

I wrap the cord around my arms until my hands start to turn red,

But it's not enough, it won't be enough to save you."

He continued with the song, remembering the truth behind the lyrics. His struggle with Louis for the last few months had been a long, frustrating one, something that had wrung him dry until the beginning of the new year. Even afterwards, there relationship had been tried, over and over again. It truly had felt that hopeless, for a time. Even on the next lines and lyrics, it was like bringing up the dreaded twist of a knife, a pull within his gut that felt so much more real than it had any business being. The affections he had felt. His confusion with Louis' confession of interest in him. It was all there.

Once he got to the next part, he hesitated. This part of the song...it had finally come true for him. It was no longer some dream. He had just pulled out of a day of nonstop affection with Louis, holding hands, hugging, being there, together. At the end, they had even sort of kissed, in a way. It felt strange to think of such things as a reality, now. But they were. And it filled his chest with a reminder of the love he felt.

"I hope you're alright,

I didn't wanna wake up last night

cause I quite liked the dream I had of holding your hand.

It's funny how slowly time goes when my

thoughts have been racing all this time."

Will was about to move to the next chords, but his breath caught in his throat when a different voice picked up the lines.

"It's-- uh. It's alright to feel a little bit of darkness now and then,

I know I've said it once but I still tell myself again and again."

A lower, deeper voice. Hesitant. Almost stumbling over himself a bit, but it was there, and it came from deep within him.

Louis.

Will didn't stop playing, but he'd never heard Louis sing before. It was...slightly out of tune, for sure, but it was real, and it was definitely, 100% him. He was mesmerized. He didn't want to interrupt. He paused as Louis did, but after a few moments, despite the beginning hesitation, the blond finished out the group of words.

"You'll never be enough, but what is enough?

You're selfless, isn't that enough?"

He felt another long, soft stroke from within. Will brushed some of his hair out of his eyes as he did so, feeling himself beam. Together. They were together, and those words were no longer just for Louis. They were for him, a love song about pining and caring for another that was right here, real and alive. He joined Louis' more gruff voice, bringing a bit more form to the music. He wasn't exactly sure how nice they sounded when singing at the same time, but he didn't exactly care. This was between them, and it was strong, something he never had expected from this.

"Banana bread before I go to bed will put the bees to sleep,

otherwise they'd buzz and sting my lungs all night inside of me,

just wait a little while, you don't cry too much,

You know that when you smile, the sun shines more gently…"

Will let the strumming fade out, and the room fell quiet once more. It was a duet that had been formed and laid out in a way that made the air feel buzzed with accomplishment, like an award had just been presented.

"I didn't know you could sing."

"Anyone can sing. I just, kind of. Suck at it, you know, so. I don't do it often." Louis coughed awkwardly.

Will tilted his head, considering the words carefully. "Well, I think you sounded really great. Even if you didn't, singing isn't about sounding good, it's about feeling good. Did it feel good?"

"...I...guess. But. I can't just be doing that whenever. And you're not allowed tell anyone about this!" Will imagined that with that tone, Louis was probably puffing out his cheeks in indignant defiance. The thought was a little bit amusing, if he was being honest. "Besides, can't let that whole tough guy stuff go to waste. If I started singing all the time, people'd be convinced I was turning soft or some shit."

The auburn haired agent smiled. Right, of course. He leaned out of bed and laid the guitar back down, away from the side of the bed so he wouldn't accidentally step on it in the morning. As he did so, his eyes caught sight of the chocolate box again.

"You know, I think you're kind of like...a dark chocolate chewy or something, Louis. You've got that hard, bitter exterior, but once you bite through that thick layer of chocolate, it's just a soft, gooey center."

"Yeah. Well, your center's pretty soft and gooey too, fanboy."

Will laughed, feeling his partner gently punch at one of the stomach walls for emphasis. At least they both had that much in common, huh? He pulled back the covers and slowly readjusted himself so he'd lay on his front, hopefully to where Louis would be undisturbed. He felt Louis curling back up into position as well, safe and protected from whatever cold air was outside. Will gently reached down under his shirt and touched the skin above where his stomach lay, pressing in just a bit to show that he was here. "I love you, Louis. Good night. Have good dreams."

Louis yawned over the skysprecht, and if Will focused enough, he could feel a little tap through the flesh and organs between them. "Yeah, don't worry. I love you too, nerd."

Those words were enough. In fact, Will realized, this entire thing was enough. He didn't know how he had missed it before, but he knew now. He may not be waking up to a fantasy that his mind many times tried to play out, but it was okay. Louis...was enough. This? This feeling of completeness, this feeling of being absolutely whole, was enough. He didn't need anything else. He just needed him.

Will's eyes closed, and as he fell into sleep, for once, he didn't dream of blood, or bullets, or pain. His dreams were filled with the embrace of coffee, chocolate, and strawberries.

**A/N: ( PSST! You! Reading this story! The song Will and Louis sing is HERE, complete with my Personal headcanon voice for Will and also a lot of backstory! Will had been planning on playing that song WAY back in December, but. You know. Being cut open makes things hard :( Louis has already heard it because someone sent it into chat when Louis was stressed about Will being kidnapped, so that's why he knows the lyrics here! It's both a MAJOR comfort song for them both And just a really good song in general, I think you'll enjoy listening to it!****also, if you liked the story, please leave a review and tell me what you think! I love feedback and I am excited to be able to share this on another platform for new readers )**


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